Cover with opening tab for containers, in particular eating bowls

ABSTRACT

Cover construction for an eating bowl. A cover for an eating bowl is made from thin aluminum provides with corrguations arranged parallel to each other and oriented in both the longitudinal direction of the bowl and transversely thereto. In one preferred embodiment the longitudinal corrugations are somewhat deeper than are the transverse corrugations. An opening tab is preferably provided at one longitudinal end of the cover to initiate opening of the bowl by tearing of said cover.

[ Aug. 27, 1974 United States Patent [191 Finger et al.

[ COVER WITH OPENING TAB FOR 3,088,624 5/1963 Kinghorn et va1. 220/54 CONTAINERS, IN PARTICULAR EATING 3,498,525 3/1970 Zinkgraf............................... 229/43 3,595,430 220/72 BOWLS FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 7/1971 Massac............

[75] Inventors: Rudolph Finger; Erich Berg; Heinz Schuppstuhl, all of 1,580,772 9/1969 France....................... 229/5l TS Plettenberg-Ohle, Germany [73] Assignee: Ohlen Eisenwerk Theob. Pfeiffer,

Primary Examiner-William I. Price plettenbergnhle, Gel-many Assistant ExaminerBruce H. Bernstein Art ,A t, F' -Wo dh ,B] h d& 22 Filed: Sept. 11,1972 fg gen 0 am am at 21 Appl. No.: 287,654

ABSTRACT [3O] Application Priority Data Cover construction for an eating bowl. A cover for an 2227472 eating bowl is made from thin aluminum provides with corrguations arranged parallel to each other and ori- /5 220/72, 2 9/35 ented in both the longitudinal direction of the bowl 229/43 B65d 5/72, B65d 17/24 220/72; 229/51 TS, 51 D and transversely thereto. In one preferred embodiment the longitudinal corrugations are somewhat deeper than are the transverse corrugations. An opening tab is preferably provided at one longitudinal end of the cover to initiate opening of the bowl by tearing of said cover.

Int. [58] Field of Search......... 229/3.5 MF, 43

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 2,077,757 4/1937 Jackson 53/6 COVER WITH OPENING TAB FOR CONTAINERS, IN PARTICULAR EATING BOWLS This invention relates to a cover for containers, in particular eating bowls, said cover being of flexible foil material and having an opening tab. Presently known covers of the mentioned type when the opening tab is used are often torn along two lines which converge from the region of the tab toward the opposite side of the cover. Thus both sides of the unremoved portion of the cover material remain connected with the container and either must be separately removed or they prevent emptying of the bowl. This is particularly difficult in the case of eating bowls containing liquid or slurry-like contents and often causes the hands of the person using the container to become soiled. Furthermore, when the known covers are torn open, whether the cover is ripped entirely off the container or only partially ripped off, they often roll together with some spring effect so that the cover material coils up thereby splashing or spraying any particles which happen to be sticking to the inner side of the cover in the direction of the user of the container.

A major objective of the invention is to develop a cover of the type mentioned above which can be made as cheaply as possible and which can be torn open easily and without danger of soiling. This is accomplished in accordance with the invention in that the cover material is designed with corrugations extending in spaced parallel relation, both in the direction of tearing and transversely thereto.

This procedure is feasible at a minimum of expense by correspondingly developing the tools for producing the cover, and assures the advantage that the cover is torn open not only along the corrugations extending in the direction of tearing from the tab region to the opposite side of the cover, but also that the cover will be bent slightly at each corrugation extending transversely to the direction of tearing and will no longer roll up with a spring effect when the opening tab is used. This ensures easier manipulation of the cover without the danger of the user or surrounding objects being soiled by particles of the contents adhering to the inside of the cover. In addition, the cover has increased stability due to the corrugations which extend in spaced parallel relation both in the direction of tearing and also transversely thereto so that the cover material can be thinner than the container material with resulting economy. The corrugations which optically appear as a patterned area of the cover do not reveal fingerprints on the cover surface, or do so only with difficulty, so that a substantially more esthetic appearance of the closed container is ensured as compared to known covers which have shining smooth surfaces which emphasizes finger marks. It is also important that there is no reduction in the strength of the cover foil which is the case when lines for tearing are scratched or perforated into the cover.

Moreover, it is also advantageous if the corrugations are designed with a width corresponding to a multiple of the cover thickness, such as, usually, a width at least ten times the cover thickness. This prevents overstressing of the cover material when the corrugations are applied while fully maintaining the advantages described above.

One embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing. With reference to the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an oblique schematic illustration of a container having a cover of the type above described;

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan elevation of the cover in accordance with FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional elevation through the cover in accordance with FIGS. 1 and 2.

The drawing shows a container, for example an eating bowl 1, of aluminum foil which is closed by a cover 2 which has an opening tab subdivided by cuts to form sections 2a, 2b, 2c.

Corrugations 2d, 2e are provided, preferably parallel with each other, in the material of the cover 2 both extending in spaced relation in the direction of tearing (i.e., perpendicularly to the side on which theopening tab is located) as well as transversely thereto. In the embodiment, the corrugations have a width which cor responds to a multiple of the thickness of the cover material. This is also preferably of aluminum foil which, however, can be selected to be somewhat thinner than the container material at least in the region of the corrugations due to the reinforcement effected by the corrugations. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the corrugations have a width of 1 mm. and the foil has a thickness of 1/10 mm.

It is especially advantageous to emboss the corrugations extending longitudinally more deeply than the transverse corrugations. This further reduces the tendency of the cover to roll together.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown in the drawing, particularly with reference to the number and/or width of the corrugations. The container can also be designed with a base outline differing from the one shown in the drawing, for example round or with more or less than four corners.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

l. A cover of flexible foil material for containers, in particular eating bowls, such cover being of a type from which a portion is tearable for opening of the cover and exposing the contents of the container, comprising an opening tab adjacent one side of the cover and which is liftable for tearing away such portion of the cover, corrugations embossed in the cover and extending in spaced parallel relation to each other not only in the direction of tearing but also transversely thereto, the corrugation width corresponding to a multiple of the cover thickness, the corrugations extending in the direction of tearing being embossed deeper than said transversely extending corrugations.

2. In a cover of flexible foil material, usable for covering the top of a container, particularly an eating how], such cover being provided adjacent one side of the container with an opening tab movable away from the container for tearing away a portion of the cover to allow access to the contents of the container, the improvment comprising:

a plurality of first corrugations extending in spaced parallel relation across a major area of the cover away from the tab, said portion of said cover being removable from the container by tearing directed along separated ones of said first corrugations in response to lifting of said tab away from said container;

means for causing said cover portion to bend slightly at spaced locations therealong during removal, so as to prevent a springlike rolling up of the cover portion upon removal from the container, and consisting of a plurality of second corrugations arranged in spaced parallel relation at said locations over said major area of the cover and extending transversely across said first corrugations.

3. A cover according to claim 2, wherein the corrugations have a width of 1 mm. and the cover foil has a thickness of 1/10 mm.

4. A cover according to claim 2, in which the longitudinal dimension of said cover exceeds the transverse dimension thereof, said first corrugations extending longitudinally of the cover, said second corrugations extending transversely of the cover, said tab being provided at one longitudinal end of said cover.

5. A cover according to claim 4, in which said major area of said cover is located substantially centrally thereof, said central major area being patterned for elimination of a continuous shining smooth surface continually across the cover, such pattern being defined by said plural first corrugations and plural second corrugations, said central major area being bounded by a noncorrugated peripheral portion engageable with sidewalls of the container.

6. A cover according to claim 2, in which said first corrugations extend perpendicularly to the side of the cover carrying the opening tab and in which said second corrugations extend transversely to such side.

7. A cover according to claim 6 in which the opening tab is subdivided by cuts to form plural sections including a central section, the width of the corrugated area of the cover exceeding the width of such subdivided opening tab, such cuts being located laterally inboard of ones of the longitudinally extending first corrugations, such cover being substantially rectangular, said tab sections being disposed along one edge of said cover in spaced relation to the corrugated portion of such cover, said space being substantially less than the dimensions of such corrugated area.

8. A cover according to claim 2 in which such corrugations have a width corresponding to a multiple of the cover thickness, and said first corrugations are embossed more deeply in the cover than are said second corrugations. 

1. A cover of flexible foil material for containers, in particular eating bowls, such cover being of a type from which a portion is tearable for opening of the cover and exposing the contents of the container, comprising an opening tab adjacent one side of the cover and which is liftable for tearing away such portion of the cover, corrugations embossed in the cover and extending in spaced parallel relation to each other not only in the direction of tearing but also transversely thereto, the corrugation width corresponding to a multiple of the cover thickness, the corrugations extending in the direction of tearing being embossed deeper than said transversely extending corrugations.
 2. In a cover of flexible foil material, usable for covering the top of a container, particularly an eating bowl, such cover being provided adjacent one side of the container with an opening tab movable away from the container for tearing away a portion of the cover to allow access to the contents of the container, the improvment comprising: a plurality of first corrugations extending in spaced parallel relation across a major area of the cover away from the tab, said portion of said cover being removable from the container by tearing directed along separated ones of said first corrugations in response to lifting of said tab away from said container; means for causing said cover portion to bend slightly at spaced locations therealong during removal, so as to prevent a springlike rolling up of the cover portion upon removal from The container, and consisting of a plurality of second corrugations arranged in spaced parallel relation at said locations over said major area of the cover and extending transversely across said first corrugations.
 3. A cover according to claim 2, wherein the corrugations have a width of 1 mm. and the cover foil has a thickness of 1/10 mm.
 4. A cover according to claim 2, in which the longitudinal dimension of said cover exceeds the transverse dimension thereof, said first corrugations extending longitudinally of the cover, said second corrugations extending transversely of the cover, said tab being provided at one longitudinal end of said cover.
 5. A cover according to claim 4, in which said major area of said cover is located substantially centrally thereof, said central major area being patterned for elimination of a continuous shining smooth surface continually across the cover, such pattern being defined by said plural first corrugations and plural second corrugations, said central major area being bounded by a noncorrugated peripheral portion engageable with sidewalls of the container.
 6. A cover according to claim 2, in which said first corrugations extend perpendicularly to the side of the cover carrying the opening tab and in which said second corrugations extend transversely to such side.
 7. A cover according to claim 6 in which the opening tab is subdivided by cuts to form plural sections including a central section, the width of the corrugated area of the cover exceeding the width of such subdivided opening tab, such cuts being located laterally inboard of ones of the longitudinally extending first corrugations, such cover being substantially rectangular, said tab sections being disposed along one edge of said cover in spaced relation to the corrugated portion of such cover, said space being substantially less than the dimensions of such corrugated area.
 8. A cover according to claim 2 in which such corrugations have a width corresponding to a multiple of the cover thickness, and said first corrugations are embossed more deeply in the cover than are said second corrugations. 